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TALE OF THE TAPE

Week 4: Miami Dolphins At Arizona Cardinals

Dolphins

Cardinals

Quarterback

It’s difficult under the best of circumstances to be a rookie quarterback in the NFL. Ryan Tannehill does not have the best of circumstances. He has a limited offensive team around him. He’s a hard working young quarterback who is trying to make the best of it, but it’s going to be a rough first year in the NFL.

Winner
There’s no doubt that Kevin Kolb has the measurables that scouts have always looked for in quality quarterbacks. Despite having the size, arm strength and physical skills to be a good NFL quarterback, he’s never had NFL success until this year. There’s a long way to go, but Kolb appears to be taking the right steps.

Offense

The Dolphins’ best offensive weapon is running back Reggie Bush. He had to come out of the Week Three game vs. the Jets with a knee injury, but there was no structural damage and he could be back against the Cardinals. Davone Bess and Anthony Fasano are hardworking players who get the most out of their talent.

Winner
The Cardinals continue to get a contribution from the running game. Ryan Matthews contributed 83 yards on the ground against the Eagles and that opened things up for Larry Fitzgerald, who is still one of the top receivers in the game. The offensive line is doing a solid job for head coach Ken Whisenhunt.

Defense

The Dolphins know they don’t have a lot to hold on to from an offensive perspective, so it’s up to the defense to provide the spark. Karlos Dansby is a big hitter and a solid tackler. Safety Chris Clemons came up with a pick against the Jets and is a good tackler.

Winner
The Cardinals are coming off one of the best defensive efforts of the season, shutting down the explosive Eagles and holding them to two field goals. The Cardinals punished quarterback Michael Vick and nobody was more damaging than linebacker Darryl Washington who registered 2.0 sacks.

Special Teams

The heat is on placekicker Dan Carpenter, who missed two field goals in the overtime loss to the Jets. The Dolphins would have won the game had he made a 48-yard attempt in overtime. Punter Brandon Fields averaged 58.8 yards per punt against New York.

Winner
The Cardinals can do a lot of damage with special teams. The duo of Dave Zastudil at punter and Jay Feely at placekicker is quite dependable, while return specialist Patrick Peterson is dynamic and has a chance to turn every opportunity into a big play.

The Winner Is

WinnerCardinals

4 out of 4

Nobody had the Cardinals getting off to a 3-0 start and looking like one of the best teams in football, but that’s just what has happened. The shockingly effective play of Kevin Kolb has helped the Cardinals. The team has explosive speed on both sides of the ball and the Cardinals need to take care of business at home and not look past what appears to be a weak team.